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Tyson invests in food start-up TovalaAccording to Feedstuffs, Tyson Foods Inc., through its corporate venture subsidiary Tyson Ventures, has completed an investment in Tovala, a Chicago, Ill.-based food start-up that makes smart countertop steam ovens with fresh, ready-to-cook meals. The terms of the investment are not being disclosed. In Tovala’s recently closed and announced Series A round of funding, Tyson Ventures now joins a group of investors that includes Origin Ventures, the Pritzker Group, start-up incubator Y Combinator, Morningstar Inc. founder Joe Mansueto and restaurant entrepreneur Larry Levy. The capital raised will be used to support Tovala’s growth, including adding staff across all departments, geographic expansion and investment in product, operations, technology and marketing.

Amazon now delivering Whole Foods groceries in select citiesAccording to Dairy Herd Management, Amazon Prime shoppers in certain cities can now get free two-hour delivery on groceries from Whole Foods Market. The service is available in areas of Dallas, Cincinnati, Austin, Texas, and Virginia Beach, Va., according to a news release. Delivery is available 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Amazon plans to expand this option across the country throughout 2018. Whole Foods items available to order from the Prime Now website include fresh produce, meat and seafood, dairy and other fresh food products.

2017 “remarkable year” for beef exportsAccording to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), 2017 was a record-breaking year for U.S. red meat exports, with beef export value exceeding $7 billion for only the second time and pork exports easily surpassing the previous year's volume record. Beef exports totaled 1.26 million metric tons (mt), up 6 percent from 2016. This was the fourth-largest volume on record and the second-largest of the post-BSE era. Beef export value reached $7.27 billion, up 15 percent year-over-year and 2 percent above the previous high achieved in 2014 ($7.13 billion). "This was a remarkable year for beef exports, in our mainstay markets in northern Asia as well as emerging destinations in South America, Southeast Asia and Africa," said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. "The U.S. beef industry gained significant market share in Japan despite considerable obstacles, and posted a record-breaking performance in South Korea and Taiwan. These markets are especially critical for chilled beef exports, which were up about 25 percent year-over-year. This had a tremendous impact on carcass value."

Net farm income expected to declineAccording to Feedstuffs, net farm income, a broad measure of profits, is forecasted to decrease $4.3 billion (6.7%) from 2017 to $59.5 billion in 2018, the lowest net farm income level in nominal dollar terms since 2006, according to the latest "Farm Sector Income & Finances" report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. Net cash farm income is projected to decrease $5.0 billion (5.1%) to $91.9 billion, the lowest level since 2009. In inflation-adjusted (real) 2018 dollars, net farm income is projected to decline $5.4 billion (8.3%) from 2017 and, if realized, would be the lowest real-dollar level since 2002. Real net cash farm income is projected to decline $6.7 billion (6.8%) from 2017, which would be the lowest real-dollar level since 2009.

EPA delays water ruleAccording to USAgNet, the Environmental Protection Agency's announced that it would delay the applicability date of the Waters of the U.S. rule for two years while the agency permanently reconsiders the Obama-era regulation. That decision won praise from Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley who stated "the action provides certainty for farmers and businesses in the short term while the agency works to provide a permanent rollback of an ill-conceived regulation." Grassley says the Waters rule and drafting process were flawed from the start and that the Obama administration ignored serious concerns about the damage the rule could have caused.

Allflex Group changes name to AntelliqAllflex Group, parent brand of Allflex, SCR, Biomark and Sure Petcare, has changed its name to Antelliq, according to a release. “We are proud to announce the launch of Antelliq, the new parent brand for our group which incorporates our major animal identification and monitoring companies, including the key brands of Allflex, SCR, Biomark and Sure Petcare,” the release said. “Our unique group has evolved from a livestock identification company into an animal intelligence company, creating world-class devices for animal identification and traceability, pioneering monitoring solutions, and delivering smart data products and services”, Antelliq CEO Dr. Stefan Weiskopf said.

Cargill invests in facial recognition technology companyAccording to Drover’s CattleNetwork, Cargill has taken a minority stake in Cainthus, an Irish startup that uses facial recognition software to increase the productivity of dairy cows. Co-Founder David Hunt, says Cainthus uses machine-learning and imaging technologies to identify cows and glean animal information, such as behavior and feed consumption, says a recent Bloomberg article. The technology uses digital cameras for the software and monitors activity without wearable devices. “We are enthused about what this partnership will mean for farmers across the world,” said David Hunt, president and co-founder, Cainthus. “Cargill is a natural partner for us, given their focus on bringing a world-class digital capability to the market and their understanding of how technology will truly help farmers succeed. We think this partnership will be a game changer for farmers because it will allow them to efficiently scale their business.”

COMPANION

VMX surpasses attendance recordsFinal attendee counts soared to nearly 18,000 at VMX by its closing day for the inaugural event, formerly the NAVC Conference, according to a release. A record-breaking number of veterinary professionals, industry partners and guests experienced VMX: Veterinary Meeting & Expo, presented by the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC), at the Orange County Convention Center. NAVC CEO Tom Bohn, CAE said of the event’s success, “VMX 2018 was an incredible experience for our board and staff as we welcomed a record number of attendees to our new home at the Orange County Convention. VMX registrants included professionals in the following categories from all 50 U.S. states and nearly 80 countries: 7,118 Veterinarians, 1,901 Veterinary Nurses & Technicians, 691 Practice Managers, 5,014 Exhibitors.Merck Animal Health releases results of Veterinary Wellbeing StudyA newly released study shows that the overall mental health of U.S. veterinarians is about the same as that of the general population, challenging long-held concerns that the industry is awash in depression and suicide, according to aToday’s Veterinary Businessreport. Still, the researchers cautioned that particular attention should be paid to younger veterinarians, whom the study found are more likely to experience serious psychological distress. The results of the Merck Animal Health Veterinary Wellbeing Study were unveiled Feb. 6 at the VMX conference in Orlando, Florida. The study found that 5.3 percent of veterinarians, or about 1-in-20, suffer from serious psychological distress, a number consistent with that of the general population. Other findings: The two most “critically important” concerns of veterinarians were high levels of student debt and stress; 41 percent of veterinarians would recommend a career in veterinary medicine, 34 percent would not and 26 percent didn’t know or were not sure. Among veterinarians ages 34 or younger, just 24 percent would recommend a veterinary career. Read more about the study at: http://todaysveterinarybusiness.com/mental-health-study-reveals-good-bad-news/

WSJ: Walgreens “has made takeover approach” to AmerisourceBergenAccording to a Wall Street Journal report, Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. has made a takeover approach to drug distributor AmerisourceBergen Corp., a move that could help boost profitability at the drugstore giant and insulate it against external threats in an increasingly competitive health-care landscape. Representatives of Walgreens Chief Executive Stefano Pessina reached out several weeks ago to representatives of Amerisource CEO Steven Collis, according to people familiar with the matter. They discussed the possibility of Walgreens buying the portion of Amerisource it doesn’t already own, though there isn’t an offer on the table, the people said. The companies are in early-stage talks to combine, the people said, cautioning that no deal is imminent and there may well not be one.

Amazon expects to grow pet product salesAccording to a Pet Business article, Amazon has bold plans for the pet category. At the recent Pet Industry Leadership Conference in Naples, Fla., two key executives from Amazon's pet products division delivered a presentation that declared the company's intent to significantly grow its share of the pet care category and provided some insight into its strategy to do so, Pet Business reported. Based on third-party forecasts, Amazon expects online pet product sales to reach $8.2 billion in 2018. That would represent about 16% market share, based on pet spending figures from the American Pet Products Association. This is a huge jump from three years ago, when most industry estimates said online sales accounted for just 5% of the market.

Report: Amazon expanding presence in medical supplies marketplaceAccording to a Wall Street Journal report, Amazon is pushing hard to expand its foothold in medical supplies. Amazon.com Inc. is pushing to turn its nascent medical-supplies business into a major supplier to U.S. hospitals and outpatient clinics that could compete with incumbent distributors of items from gauze to hip implants. Amazon has invited hospital executives to its Seattle headquarters on several occasions, most recently in late January, to solicit information about the sector and sound out ideas for expanding the company’s business-to-business marketplace, Amazon Business, into one where hospitals could shop to stock outpatient locations, operating suites and emergency rooms, according to hospital executives who attended the meetings. Amazon Business already sells a limited selection of medical supplies -- some sutures, for example, but not more specialized items like hip implants -- as well as industrial and office supplies.

Henry Schein named one of the 2018 World's Most Ethical CompaniesHenry Schein, Inc. has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as one of the 2018 World's Most Ethical Companies. This is the seventh consecutive year that Henry Schein has been recognized and it is the only honoree in the Healthcare Products industry, according to a release.

Banfield Pet Hospital, NAVC publish second annual VET ReportBanfield Pet Hospital joined forces with the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) to publish the second annual Veterinary Emerging Topics® (VET) Report, according to a release. The 2018 VET Report focuses on feline antimicrobial usage and the mounting public health issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), expanding the conversation Banfield and the NAVC started in the 2017 VET Report about this issue in canine patients. To provide perspective on current practices, Banfield's research examined the treatment of upper respiratory infections and urinary tract infections in feline patients. Key findings include: 40 percent of cats received antimicrobial medications for a presumptive UTI with no urinalysis or with negative results; 11 percent of feline patients received further culture and susceptibility testing to confirm the diagnosis after a positive urinalysis; Two primary drivers for administering antimicrobials instead of additional testing or other forms of treatment were concerns about cat and owner compliance. For more information or to download the full report, visit the Banfield Exchange or vetfolio.com/vetreport.

Group of practitioners form Independent Veterinary Practitioners AssociationAccording to VIN News Service, a group of practitioners who value their autonomy have formed an organization dedicated to the advancement of independent practice. It’s called the Independent Veterinary Practitioners Association, or IVPA. The organization debuted earlier this month on Facebook.

Cases of sick pets due to essential oilsAccording to Baltimore, Md.-based WBALTV11, a local vet said she has treated recent cases of pet poisoning because of essential oils that could have long-term effects. Dr. Marisa Stone is used to seeing all kinds of issues with pets when they come into Falls Road Animal Hospital. But, in the past six to eight months, a relatively new issue has popped up. "I've been seeing essential oil toxicities. Never saw them before," Stone said. Extremely sick pets that have come into contact with essential oils are coming in to the animal hospital. The essential oils have become very popular in recent years. Many people use them on their skin or in a diffuser for a variety of reasons. But they can be toxic and deadly for pets, especially cats. Stone strongly advises against using the oils on animals, and animal poison control experts warn that even using them through a diffuser can be harmful, particularly in small spaces.

Two pet food products recalled for possible Salmonella contaminationAccording to the Food Poisoning Bulletin, two pet food products have been recalled for possible Salmonella contamination. One of the recalled products has no illnesses linked to it; the other has had two reported illnesses. The first recall is for Smokehouse Pet Products, recalling limited lots of “Beefy Munchies.” The product is sold in 4-ounce bags with UPC number 78565857957 and lot number 449294 and with a best used by date of 10/25/19 stamped on the back. They were sold in Washington, Michigan, North Carolina and Colorado through distributors selling to various retailers. Routine sampling by the Colorado Department of Agriculture revealed the presence of the pathogenic bacteria in two packages of the product. No illnesses have been reported to date with this recall. The second recall is for Raws for Paws Ground Turkey Pet Food. The Minnesota company is recalling about 4,00o pounds of 1 pound and 5 pound chubs. The product was distributed through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa directly to consumers and through online mail order.

products to watch

Nutramax announces the launch of Panzquin™Nutramax Laboratories Veterinary Sciences, Inc. (“Nutramax”) announced the launch of Panzquin™, the first Pancreatic Enzyme Concentrate PLUS Cobalamin, according to a release. The oral cobalamin used in Panzquin™ is bioavailable and has been shown to increase serum cobalamin concentrations in dogs and cats. Panzquin™ provides the enzyme analysis veterinarians expect [Each 2.8 grams of powder (1 teaspoon) contains a minimum of Lipase – 71,400 USP units, Protease – 388,000 USP units, Amylase – 460,000 USP units] PLUS cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12, 500 µg/2.8 grams). Included in the package is a small, helpful scoop with a handle that is longer than the depth of the tub. At only ¼ teaspoon, it allows veterinarians and their clients to choose the appropriate number of scoops for each individual patient’s specific meal size which results in lower client cost and improved client satisfaction. Panzquin™ will be offered in a single 8.1 oz (230 grams) tub size and is available to order now.

Zoetis enters high-volume chemistry testing marketZoetis announced the launch of Carysta HVC (High Volume Chemistry), a stand-alone, chemistry diagnostic instrument designed to bring reference-lab quality testing to high-volume veterinary practices. Carysta HVC offers a menu of 37 routine and specialty parameters, available as singly selected tests or fully customizable panels, all on one system. The instrument offers veterinarians greater operational flexibility than current instrument solutions, while improving quality, productivity, and reducing clinic costs of testing. Availability is expected in March 2018. Carysta HVC is specifically designed for those veterinary practices conducting the highest volume of diagnostic tests, as such practices would benefit from the increased throughput of the instrument. Carysta HVC is based on liquid reagent technology ideally suited for veterinary clinics, reference laboratories, and shelters that need greater throughput and test selection flexibility.